Climate Security in South Asia : Proceedings of a Workshop

The South Asia region presents a confluence of major climate impacts and key security issues.

From a weather and climate standpoint, the region experiences a wide range of hazards, such as the recent heatwaves, droughts, storms, and floods that have upended the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.

From a demographic and socioeconomic standpoint, the region is experiencing rapid transformations and progress, even as fundamental challenges such as poverty and inequality persist.

From a security standpoint, the region is the setting for a range of social and political dynamics that impact U.S. interests, including conflict at national and subnational levels; regional rivalries; and the imprint of global geopolitics. On October 26-27, 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, under the auspices of the National Academies Climate Security Roundtable, convened a workshop to explore climate security in South Asia.

Over two days, workshop participants considered some of the underlying climate, development, and geopolitical dynamics at play in the South Asia region; explored a set of historical case studies and future scenarios for climate change and security in South Asia; and they considered the available tools for analysis and forecasting climate-related risks.

This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop. Table of ContentsFront MatterWorkshop Overview1 Introduction2 Climate, Development, and Security Challenges in South Asia3 Historical Case Studies4 Possible Futures5 Tools for Analysis and Forecasting6 Reflecting on Climate Security Risk in South AsiaReferencesAppendix A: National Academies Climate Security RoundtableAppendix B: Workshop AgendaAppendix C: Workshop Planning Committee Biographical SketchesAppendix D: Workshop Speaker Biographical Sketches